The invention relates generally to sporting goods and recreational products, and more particularly to a bodyboard for use in riding ocean surf.
Bodyboards are flotation amusement devices for riding waves. They are similar to surfboards, with the major differences being that bodyboards are shorter, lighter and generally more flexible than surfboards. In form, a bodyboard is a contoured, elongated, foam plank having a plastic bottom skin, which is generally slick and shiny to enhance planing on the surf, and a top riding surface of foam or plastic.
Bodyboards are traditionally ridden in a prone or procumbent position, with one arm extending forwardly for gripping the nose end of the board and the other arm positioned in a trailing manner for gripping a side edge. In this position, the rider can push or pull against the front or side edges, bending or twisting the board to assist in maneuvering. The rider's legs, which trail the board, also help with steering and maneuvering.
The stiffness or flexibility of a bodyboard greatly influences its riding and control characteristics. Some bodyboards are manufactured like surfboards, with a very stiff core and a hard outer skin. Such hard, inflexible bodyboards are difficult to maneuver because, lacking flexibility, the rider cannot adjust the shape of the board. In general, very stiff bodyboards tend to be the most expensive models, but are not favored by the more skilled bodyboard riders. Stiff bodyboards do have the advantage of being sturdy and not easily susceptible to breakage, although they can potentially injure the rider or others if the board happens to collide with a person in the surf.
Far more popular among experienced bodyboard riders are relatively flexible boards which generally have a core made of semi-rigid foam. Such flexible, bendable bodyboards permit the rider to adjust the drag characteristics of the board by bending the nose upwardly or twisting the board to facilitate maneuvering. Flexible boards are increasingly popular among riders who wish to perform the numerous maneuvers and tricks which make bodyboarding the fast-paced, exhilarating sport it has become. Tricks such as the "el rollo," "belly spinners," and others involve daring and precise maneuvers mandating that the rider have complete control over the board. In addition to being maneuverable, flexible boards also can be safer to ride in heavy surf because they are softer and less likely to cause injury should the board break loose and collide with the rider or others.
Flexibility in bodyboard design is relative, meaning the flexible boards are comparatively more flexible than ultrastiff boards. Yet, even the flexible boards are stiff enough to retain their shape and cannot be bent or folded beyond a certain point without damage to the board structure. In general, a flexible bodyboard will be flexible enough for the rider, exerting a reasonable force with his arms and body, to twist a four-foot long board perhaps four-inches or so from its original shape and alignment. With a very stiff bodyboard, or a surfboard, a person of normal strength cannot twist or bend the board structure even by that amount. Consequently, even with a soft, bendable or flexible bodyboard, the board remains a relatively stiff device to which only subtle changes in shape are made by the exertions of the rider.
Flexible or bendable bodyboards are susceptible to creasing or breakage, making them more fragile than the stiff bodyboards. Because they are less rigid, softer bodyboards are more likely to be flexed beyond the critical compression point, at which permanent creases form. Typically, a board is damaged when the rider is thrown upon the board in heavy ocean surf after losing control. The flexible foam core then will bend far enough to crease the hard, shiny bottom surface, which alters the planing characteristics of the board permanently, making it sluggish and comparatively "dead." Once the bottom skin has been creased, the board often becomes unusable for high performance bodyboarding activities and the board must be replaced.
The trade-off in bodyboard design is to achieve the flexibility necessary for maneuvering without making the board too fragile or delicate for the rough and tumble of bodyboarding activity. Ideally, the bodyboard should be both flexible enough to perform popular bodyboarding maneuvers yet be strengthened against creasing or breakage. In addition, any strengthening of the bodyboard structure should be accomplished without adding excessive weight or otherwise adversely changing the size, shape or ride characteristics of the board.
It would be advantageous to provide a relatively flexible bodyboard which is lightweight and maneuverable but which is stiffened in selected regions to inhibit creasing of the board. I would also be advantageous for the stiffened board to retain sufficient flexibility to avoid the solid, very stiff feel of a surfboard or other relatively inflexible surf riding device.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a bodyboard that is flexible, yet is stiffened in selected regions of the board to inhibit creasing or breakage of the board.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a stiffened bodyboard which includes a layer of fiber mesh stiffening material laminated into the board structure to stiffen the board by a selected amount.
It is another object of the invention to provide a bodyboard stiffened with a layer of fiber mesh embedded within the internal foam structure of the board, wherein the mesh fibers are encapsulated within the surrounding foam, to retain flexibility while reinforcing the bodyboard.
Accordingly, the invention provides a bodyboard in the form of an elongate, substantially planar board having a semi-rigid foam core and having an outer skin which includes a top skin for supporting a rider extending over the upper surface of the core and a bottom skin for planing on water extending over the lower surface of the core. The improvement of the present invention comprises an expanse of stiffening material extending over selected regions of the board between the foam core and the outer skin. In one preferred embodiment, the stiffening means is in the form of an expanse or layer of stiffening material disposed between the bottom skin and foam core of the board. The stiffening layer is preferably fiber mesh with an open crosshatched pattern. The mesh is laminated between adjacent foam layers which are joined to one another through the openings in the mesh. The mesh preferably extends over the entire bottom surface of the board, although it could be applied in selected regions only, if desired. Alternative embodiments of the invention include applying a stiffening fiber mesh layer adjacent the top skin of the board. Yet another alternative embodiment includes applying a fiber mesh stiffening layer adjacent the side rails of the board.